Guide:11 Steps on How to Write a Term paper. What is a term paper and how is it written? What is the format of writing a term paper? How many pages makes a term paper? How do you start a good term paper?
Choose your topic. If you have the chance to choose your own topic, take use of it. Try to be as creative as you can. Select a topic that particularly interests you since doing so will make writing about it easier. In particular, try to choose a subject because it raises urgent problems that you already know you want to research. Once you’ve chosen a topic, be sure to narrow it down to one you can actually finish within the time and space allotted.
Often, a topic is originally too broad in its coverage, which will make it impossible to finish within those limits. Choose a topic that can be effectively explored within the constraints of the article.
Start looking at unusual perspectives that can differentiate your content and information from the more obvious approaches that many people will undoubtedly adopt if the issue has already been selected for you. Finally, whatever perspective you choose to approach your subject from, it should be fresh and insightful, capturing the reader’s interest.
Be very careful when selecting a topic to avoid being so committed to how you envision the paper turning out that you become blocked to fresh perspectives and ways of thinking as you write the article. Academics refer to this as “premature cognitive commitment.”
A predetermined outcome, regardless of the research findings along the route, will be molded to match the outcome, rather than the outcome reflecting a true study of the discoveries made. This can ruin an otherwise strong work.Instead, see the issue as a “hypothesis” rather than a conclusion and ask ongoing questions about it at each level of your study and writing. In this way, as you go through the article, you’ll be ready to be questioned and perhaps even have your viewpoint altered.
Reading other people’s thoughts, comments, and postings on a subject can frequently help you to sharpen your own, particularly when they state that “more research” is necessary or when they pose difficult issues but don’t provide any answers.
2. Make research. Starting to write before you’ve done your research is worthless. You must comprehend the context of the issue, the present consensus, as well as what additional study is thought to be required in the field. Avoid reiterating facts you already know extremely well, despite the temptation, to get the most out of your research and writing.
Enter research with a sense of adventure, be willing to learn topics you don’t yet understand, and be prepared to find novel approaches to resolving long-standing issues.Use primary (original texts, documents, court cases, interviews, experiments, etc.) as well as secondary (other people’s interpretations and explanations of the primary source) sources when conducting research.
There is also a place for talking with other students who share your opinions, and if you feel comfortable doing so, you can even find online discussions about the subject. However, these discussions are more for idea-sharing and helping you to organize your thoughts than they are for citing sources.
3. Make your thesis statement stronger. Consider your research topic again when you’ve finished.At this point, it’s critical to identify the one, compelling concept you’ll be addressing, your claim, which you believe you can support throughout the paper and which clearly communicates to the reader what they can expect to learn and the basis of your argument.
The notion that you will support in the succeeding paragraphs is your thesis statement, which serves as the backbone of your essay. Serving it half-baked ensures that the remaining paper will be flavorless. Create a thesis that interests you and that your study has supported; that way, supporting it won’t be that tedious.
Write your first draft whenever you’re confident that your topic is sound and well-defined. Keep in mind that the investigation continues. Neither, necessarily, does the thesis statement. As you proceed with the research and writing, give yourself some leeway since you might want to make adjustments in response to the thoughts that come to you and the new information you learn.
On the other hand, be careful not to be a constant seeker who, out of fear of being constrained, never settles on a single notion. You’ll have to say, “This is enough to make my point,” at some time. If you’re very interested in a subject, you might always pursue postgraduate work in the future, but keep in mind that your term paper has a word limit and a due date.
4. Prepare an outline for the essay. There are a select few, frequently time-pressed individuals, who can work on a term paper without completing this phase. Far like a road map shows you where you’re going from point A to point B, it is much better to have an outline drawn out so that you know where you’re heading.
The outline is flexible and is open to revisions, just like the rest of the article. However, it does act as the framework for your thesis and gives you a feeling of structure to fall back on when you get stuck in the middle of writing. The rest is just a matter of filling in the specifics. There are several ways to create an outline, and you might even have a favorite strategy of your own. As a general rule, an outline should have the following fundamental components:
5. In the introduction, state your thesis. Although the introduction is difficult, try not to make it a barrier. This section of the paper is the one that needs to be revised the most frequently as the direction, flow, and conclusion of the work alter as you go along. As a result, consider it just a starting point and keep in mind that revisions are always possible.
This method gives you the freedom to make mistakes and fix them as necessary. By outlining the breakdown, which the reader will also need to be aware of right away, utilize this as an opportunity to assist yourself understand the basic organization of the term paper. As a starting point for your introduction, consider using HIT:
6. Utilize the body paragraphs to persuade the reader. Make sure each paragraph adds a fresh perspective to your argument. You’re unsure of your body’s capacity. The initial sentence of each paragraph should stand alone; when combined, they should read like a set of examples that support your argument.
Try to connect the essay’s main topic, like Plato’s Symposium, to a distantly connected topic you are familiar with (say, the growing trend of free-wheeling hook-ups in frat parties).
Bring the paragraph back to your main point gradually, and then briefly discuss why this feature of the book or subject is so fascinating and important to explore (such as, how different the expectations for physical intimacy were then compared with now).
7. Conclude with strength. Try using the ROCC method:
8. Display some flair. Utilizing external sources? Find out whether your instructor prefers MLA or APA citations, or another style if you are studying abroad. Each has a specific notation system, so consult the handbook if you’re unsure about the rules (online versions are available at owl.English.Purdue.EU).
It’s undoubtedly a good idea to sprinkle quotes throughout your text to support your arguments, but be careful not to overdo it. If you use too many quotes to support your arguments, you risk having other authors essentially write your paper for you.
Avoid cutting and pasting from other people’s arguments. By all means use eminent thinkers in the field’s thoughts to back up your own thinking but avoid saying nothing other than “A says… B says…” The reader wants to know what you say ultimately.
To prevent a last-minute scramble, it is beneficial to organize your bibliography from the start: how to write a bibliography, How to format a bibliography in MLA style and according to APA style.
9. Burn flab, build muscle. Any graded work has limited space, so it’s always a good idea to identify ways to eliminate words. Are your sentences clear and concise? Examine each one to see if you’ve managed to convey your meaning in the fewest words feasible. Trade in weak “to-be” verbs for stronger “action” verbs. For example: “I was writing my term paper” becomes “I wrote my term paper.”
10. Don’t be such a slob. Running a spell check is just the beginning of proofreading your essay. A spell-check won’t detect mistakes like “how” instead of “show,” double words (“the the”), or grammatical issues (unless you use MS Word, which can be configured to check grammar, and already catches double words).
Small mistakes like this are unlikely to impress the teacher because, if you’re not careful enough to proofread, it’s likely that you didn’t put much work into your paper. Fix the issue by having a buddy proofread your writing and highlight any errors.
Decent grammar should be a given. You need a teacher to give you the benefit of the doubt, not correct your apostrophe use. A few too many errors and the message is soon lost beneath the irritation of the errors involved.
11. Create a catchy title that isn’t too long or too short to draw the reader in. Some essayists come up with a wonderful title right away, while others don’t realize it until they’ve struggled through the whole thing. If you’re still having trouble, brainstorm with a friend or member of your family. You’d be astonished at how quickly a new person who isn’t familiar with the subject may think of a catchy title!